Multitasking
Written by John Nelson, while listening to music, engaging in side conversations, and playing a board game.
Although the videos Growing Up Online and Digital Nation, showed a few studied on multitasking, I believe that the studies are far from conclusive. Take for instance the study that had participants sit in front of a computer, which had letters and numbers flash on it. They had to identify, quickly, whether the numbers were even and odd and whether the letters were vowels or consonants. Participant who had to identify numbers and letters did worse then participant that had to do just one or the other. Of course they did! Who on a daily basis practices reaction speed for identifying even and odd numbers? I suspect that if tasks were given which the participants performed regularly, that different results would be shown. Give a person time to practice identifying numbers and letters, and then compare their ability to multitask.
There is another side to the multitasking that I see as well. Isn’t it possible that we do
not need to focus on many tasks?
Aren't there many tasks in which people become so proficient, that they
become “muscle memory”. Take for
instance drinking, eating, driving, standing, running, walking, or holding
something. Can you not pair these
tasks with another, like listening, talking, or watching something? There are a lot of tasks that I do not
feel, require full attention. I do
not have to listen to all of the lyrics in a song to be moved by it. I do not need to read every word in a
story to pick up a theme in a book. I do not need to watch for other cars on a highway, if it is
barren. I do not need to
taste food in order to receive the nutrition. I do not need to look where I am walking, unless I am close
to a cliff. I see many tasks where
corners can be cut. Cutting these
corners frees my mind in order to do multiple things simultaneously.
I don’t think that anyone should worry about their
multitasking. Not unless they are
failing to perform a task to the standard that they set for themselves. If they are becoming distracted when
they need to focus, they can work on improving their ability to focus. However, if they enjoy be connected to
or doing a million things at one time, good for them. Just remember that each person is responsible for their own success. Understand that some tasks may require greater focus, some
require practice, and some require being social. Good luck!
Love your examples as well as your pictures! I agree with you that multitasking is possible and that it takes practice. Just like everything else, the more you do something, the easier it becomes. In your example of playing the guitar, I would also guess that if you got better at it, you would also be able to sing and dance while you play. I notice that some children in my class can cut something out and continue talking. Those who have more difficulty with cutting simply stop cutting if they are also talking. I hope that as they become more proficient with this skill, they will be able to listen as well as talk while they are cutting.
ReplyDeleteI also find that less intense things, requiring less of your mind, are easier to multitask. I can watch TV and use my iPad, but I cannot read and watch TV. I usually become too engrossed in one and stop doing the other. I also believe that some things become part of muscle memory. I can usually talk, listen to music and clean the dishes as I go when I cook something that I have made many times. With a new recipe, I often turn off the music, ask those around me to be quiet and the kitchen is a mess when I am done. Multitasking is something I am aware of often when I create my lesson plans - especially for kindergartners. They haven’t had much time to practice yet!
You make a lot of interesting points, John! I agree that there are certainly activities where multitasking is easier and necessary, like singing and playing the guitar. Those two go together as well, so maybe the brain processes are similar? Muscle memory is something I hadn't considered, but if you play chords enough, you know where your fingers need to go. (I still have to disagree with you about the texting while driving though!)
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think about multiple that activities that require higher brain processes, like writing a research paper while cooking and talking on the phone? There's a lot going on there requiring physical and mental focus.
I'd like to hear more of your thoughts. It seems like we overlap on some ideas while disagreeing on others.